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"Today I saw a question posted on Reddit from someone who’s deploying to Mildenhall from the US. They wanted insights on how to dive deeper into English culture as a visitor, and I since I grew up nearby and I’m waiting on training I ended up writing a long answer. I’ve no idea if search engines even work any more, but in the spirit of leaving breadcrumbs for anyone with similar questions, I wanted to share a version here too.As someone with family still in Mildenhall and who grew up nearby, but who has lived in the US for 25 years, here are some thoughts for whatever they’re worth. The area has hosted Americans for over 80 years, so the locals are very used to their presence. I even had some USAF kids in my school classes, from families who wanted them to mix outside of the base. I still remember the day one brought in his dad’s pressure suit from a Blackbird for our equivalent of show and tell. I don’t know whether going to an English school was something they benefited from, but I believe it’s still an option if you’re interested. For us it was great to have friends who could bring us American candy."

"The house rental market is very much set up for visiting military, for better or worse. You’ll have no problem renting, the landlords know they can get help from the base staff if there are any issues, but you’ll also find most places are set up for fairly short term deployments of a couple of years or so. This means you’re not likely to get a rose-covered cottage, but something more functional. You’ll also find it hard to get away from other Americans without traveling a few miles."

"Don’t let any preconceptions of the English countryside mislead you. I find the Fens beautiful, but they’re basically drained swamps, very flat and agricultural. I highly recommend experiencing it from the water, with a narrowboat tour through the Norfolk Broads. You can actually travel pretty much the entire country by connected canals, and some people live on boats year-round."

"It’s a blue-collar rural area with all the same drugs, violence and bigotry you find in similar areas in the US, though maybe not as obvious. I’ve lost too many friends to suicide and drunk driving, and ask a local about Roma people if you want to hear some ugly attitudes. Different pubs are focused on locals, tourists, and service members. You’ll probably find the locals’ pubs give you a bit of a cold shoulder at first, but that’s also where you’ll get the most authentic interactions if you stick it out."

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